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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Is it time to give up the hunt in the caves of Tora Bora? Bush Signs Education Bill into Law
Aired January 08, 2002 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Now on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS, pulled over for speeding on September 9th, he took part in the hijackings of September 11th. Is it time to give up the hunt in the caves of Tora Bora?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REAR ADM. JOHN STUFFLEBEEM, JOINT STAFF DEPUTY OPS. DIRECTOR: We're going to be successful in the end. So I don't -- I'm not frustrated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Was Taliban American John Walker brainwashed? A new take from a fellow student.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was just a young man with strong convictions, and I think that those led him to some very, very poor decisions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: And, their allies on education. But where does the alliance end? I'll ask Senator Edward Kennedy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: We have a home front as well that needs attention.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. How is anyone supposed to know? Just two days before the September 11th attacks, a state trooper came face to face with one of the hijackers. In just a moment, what can be learned and what is still lacking in America's first line of defense? We're also expecting to hear from President Bush this hour about the education bill he just signed into law.
First, a quick check of the latest developments. U.S. officials say American forces in Afghanistan might enter Pakistan in pursuit of Osama bin Laden. Pentagon officials say U.S. forces would not act unilaterally, and they say there is no hard proof bin Laden is even in Pakistan. A Pakistani government spokesman says the country needs no help in catching al Qaeda members.
The Pentagon also says the transfer of Taliban and al Qaeda detainees from Afghanistan to a U.S. military base in Cuba could start as early as tomorrow. The detainees are expected to be transported and specifically outfitted, C-131 cargo planes. Officials say various measures are being taken to keep the prisoners under control during the flights.
U.S. forces have taken two senior al Qaeda members into custody. They were among 14 fighters captured in the Khowst region of eastern Afghanistan. The two senior men are being interrogated at the U.S. Marine base in Kandahar.
A delegation of nine United States senators met with the Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad today. They praised him for aiding the United States' war against terrorism. They also discussed the conflict between India and Pakistan over the disputed territory of Kashmir.
Sources tell CNN the Justice Department will search for some 6,000 people of Middle Eastern and Arab descent, who are no longer eligible to stay in the United States. The so-called deportable aliens have overstayed their visas or committed a crime. The source says they also may fit the profile of a terrorist.
And the mother of Charles Bishop says she is devastated by her son's suicide. The 15-year-old crashed a small plane into a Tampa, Florida office building on Saturday. Julia Bishop says her son was her shining star, and that he loved his country. He left behind a note expressing support for the September 11th attacks.
There is a new and very dramatic development in the war against terrorism. Just two days before the September 11th attacks, a Maryland state trooper stopped a man for speeding. We now know that the man was Ziad Jarrah, one of the terrorists who hijacked United flight 93. The full story now from CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A run-of-the-mill traffic stop, just after midnight September 9th, in northern Maryland.
TROOPER JOSEPH CATALANO, MARYLAND STATE POLICE: You were going 90 in a 65. Can I see your driver's license and registration, please.
CANDIOTTI: The driver is never seen or heard.
CATALANO: Still live on Quicksilver drive? OK. I'll be right with you.
CANDIOTTI: That driver, Ziad Jarrah, then a nobody to authorities. Who on this night was heading north, presumably to Newark, where he would board United Airlines flight 93.
CATALANO: OK, sir. Ninety miles an hour in a 65 zone is a $270 fine.
CANDIOTTI: Too late, investigators would learn. Jarrah was part of a terrorist cell in Germany that planned the September 11th attacks, who took flying lessons in the U.S.
CATALANO: ... check or money order, mail it in. And you do so within 15 days.
CANDIOTTI: Two days later, Jarrah would help take over flight 93, the flight which crashed in Pennsylvania.
CATALANO: Here's the information. You're free to go.
CANDIOTTI: The haunting question: could he have been stopped? The plot foiled? Absolutely not, authorities insist. Jarrah was not on a terrorist watch list.
MIKE CLEMENS, FBI: When Jarrah was stopped on I-95, he was not on the radar screen of any federal agency, and he was actually here, as I'm told, legally, under a multiple entry visa that was good through 2005.
CANDIOTTI: At this, from the trooper, who surely must have thought about the events that night, time and again.
CATALANO: He was calm. He was real cooperative. Just a routine traffic stop.
CANDIOTTI: Jarrah's license checked out. Nothing inside the car appeared suspicious. Like the other hijackers, Jarrah blended into his community, a modest, suburban home.
COL. DAVID MITCHELL, MARYLAND STATE POLICE: They integrated themselves into society here in America. Gave no rise to suspicion.
CANDIOTTI: Even more chilling, even if Jarrah had been on a watch list, police say they don't have the time or manpower to check with the FBI every time they pull someone over.
MITCHELL: Without any reason to believe someone might be wanted or there might be information that we need to know about, we don't run every name of every person we stop.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI: How long would it take to run a background check in the FBI's data base? About five to 10 minutes, I'm told, or much longer if things are busy. Authorities also insist they would not single out any one group, calling that profiling -- a charge that's been repeatedly leveled against the Justice Department by civil rights groups, Wolf. And that's been happening since September 11th.
BLITZER: Any particular reason why they released this videotape today?
CANDIOTTI: Well, journalists have been after this tape for a very long time. And it took the Maryland's version of the freedom of information act for authorities to release this tape.
BLITZER: All right, Susan Candiotti. Good reporting, thank you very much.
Joining us now -- excuse me, let's move on to the war in Afghanistan. U.S. forces have captured two senior al Qaeda members near a cave complex in the eastern part of Afghanistan. CNN military affairs correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, is live over at the Pentagon, and he has more on that and other developments -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Pentagon is not saying who these two high-ranking al Qaeda members are. But they also say that, along with them, they picked up laptop computers, cell phones, training manuals and other items that should be of some intelligence value. Pentagon officials say that the troops were scouring, the U.S. troops were scouring this area near Khowst, which is still considered to be an area that was a former stronghold of the Taliban, when it came across the two high-ranking al Qaeda members in a group of 14 people. They were captured without resistance.
Now the Pentagon is beginning to make plans to move these two and, as planned, as many as 360 other captured Taliban and al Qaeda officials, to the United States, to the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Pentagon says that it will begin moving them soon. Our sources tell us that it could be as soon as this week, flying them on specially equipped C-141s, with extra security out of the Bagram air base, directly to Guantanamo, Cuba.
The U.S. has already been interrogating some of these prisoners, and today, the chairman of the joint chiefs said that the U.S. had been getting some good intelligence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF CHMN.: Indeed, we are getting some intelligence on this. We think we have thwarted some attacks, but to go into any more detail starts to give away what we know and what they don't know we know. And so we've got to be very, very careful there. But, yes, this has been somewhat fruitful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: U.S. troops are still on the ground, still calling in airstrikes, and up-close inspection of the Zawar Kili training complex, revealed it is much bigger and much more extensive. This strike here, from an F-14 on Monday, shows a strike against a compound that was overlooked previously. They didn't realize this was even part of the complex, it was so far away.
The U.S. is pretty much completed its search of the Tora Bora caves, and finding evidence that Osama bin Laden was there and now gone. So the search for him continues -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jamie, what are you hearing about another so-called friendly fire incident?
MCINTYRE: Well, Wolf, there has been a preliminary finding in the friendly fire incident from last December 5th. You may recall, three U.S. soldiers were killed in that when a 2,000-pound bomb went astray. The preliminary findings indicate that the soldiers may have accidentally called that strike in on their own location, giving the wrong coordinates. But Pentagon officials here are stressing that's a preliminary finding. The full report hasn't been completed, and won't be until the end of the month.
BLITZER: And they're providing additional information about the circumstances of the hostile fire death of the green beret, the first American soldier killed in combat in Afghanistan?
MCINTYRE: Right, Sergeant Chapman, Nathan Chapman, was killed. And the Pentagon has been calling this an ambush. They are backing away from that today, saying that he was killed when hostile fire broke out as they were traveling along a mountain road. And they say now it's not clear whether this was something that was set up by somebody thought to be friendly to the United States, or was simply a result of hostile fire or banditry, or other fire in the area. So they're backing off a little bit. They're stressing that that incident is under investigation, and they don't want it to come to any premature conclusions.
BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon. Thanks very much. Joining us now with his assessment of the use of American forces in Pakistan, the former U.S. assistant secretary of state for south Asian affairs, Rick Inderfurth. Rick, thanks for joining us.
This notion of U.S. troops going beyond the border in Afghanistan into Pakistan to search for al Qaeda, Taliban fighters, that's pretty risky business, politically, for the president of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf.
KARL INDERFURTH, FMR. U.S. REP. TO U.S.: Well, they will have to do it in conjunction with the Pakistanis. These can't be surprise raids across the border into Pakistan. But, if it is necessary to go after al Qaeda, if it is necessary to go after bin Laden, if he is there in conjunction with the Pakistanis, I think it can be done.
BLITZER: We have a map, and I want to put it up on a screen, to show the area. Because it's a rugged terrain right around here. If you take a look up on the screen, the whole border between Afghanistan, sort of squiggling down here in between. But this area right around here, as you well know, it sort of blends in. It's very, very mountainous, and it's easy to hide.
INDERFURTH: Well, it is easy to hide. And it is as very -- almost known as a tribal area. It's an area where there are a lot of people that are supporters of bin Laden, sympathizers of the Taliban. It'd be a tough area to find anyone. But the fact is that the Pakistani military have people on the ground. They have paramilitary people, as well as intelligence. So there are a lot of eyes and ears on the ground there that could provide valuable intelligence.
BLITZER: Does the central government of President Musharraf completely control that area? Because we've heard all sorts of reports about warlords in that tribal area, that effectively, are in charge.
INDERFURTH: No, they don't completely control that area. It is the wild regions of Pakistan. But they do have enough control there to have people on the ground that could help U.S. forces track down these people.
BLITZER: Complicating all of this is the movement of some of the Pakistani troops from the border region along the Afghan border to the Kashmir area, where there are serious tensions that continue, albeit, somewhat abated, with the Indians.
INDERFURTH: Well, that does take away from that mission, to hunt down al Qaeda or Taliban people coming across the border, or indeed, bin Laden. But again, there are people on the ground, and I think that with the kind of intelligence that is provided through human intelligence, I think he could be found. I don't think that bin Laden, if he is in Pakistan, should stay there very long. I think that he will be found.
BLITZER: Well, is it theoretically possible, given all the money he has -- perhaps he's got gold billion or whatever -- if he gets into Pakistan, he could work his way out, to Karachi or someplace, get on a boat and get out of there?
INDERFURTH: That's possible. But I think that, again, there is still that $25 million reward. So there is money on the other side of the table, looking to find him. But the fact of the matter is, the most important point is, he's on the run. If he's out of Afghanistan, if he is in Pakistan, he won't stay there indefinitely. He is on the run. And that disrupts any operations that he may have in mind.
BLITZER: Rick Inderfurth, thanks for joining us. I appreciate it.
And after Afghanistan, what will be the next target in America's war on terrorism? President Bush is keeping his options open, at least for now. But his deputy secretary of defense, Paul Wolfowitz, is shedding some light on some possibilities. In an interview that was published in "The New York Times" today, Wolfowitz says the hit list includes such places as Somalia, Yemen, Indonesia and the Philippines. Tells the paper -- quote -- "One of the most difficult things in the next few months is going to be establishing which of our allies of convenience in the early stages of this war can become real allies over the longer term, and which ones are going to be major trouble maker, and which ones are going to just switch sides."
Joining us now to talk more about this, the former Clinton deputy national security adviser, James Steinberg. Jim, what's your sense? Where is the U.S. going to strike next?
JAMES STEINBERG, FMR. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: I think what you've seen from the Wolfowitz interview, Wolf, is that they're trying to keep their options open. They are keeping the pressure on. By having all of these choices out there, they allow them to accomplish some of their goals without actually having to use force. Put the terrorists off-balance, make him afraid to use some of these bases.
For example, in Somalia, part of the strategy may be just to threaten the possibility of use of force, and therefore cause the terrorist to shy away from reestablishing bases there.
BLITZER: Is it clear, though, that al Qaeda does have real serious operations inside Somalia right now?
STEINBERG: I think it's important to understand the nature of al Qaeda. It's really a network of different organizations, some of which are more or less closely linked to the central forces that we've seen in Afghanistan. There are certainly groups that are sympathetic to bin Laden and his objectives in Somalia. There are extremist groups that have used terror in the past. And so it potentially could be, at least, an allied group for bin Laden. And it's also a place that if al Qaeda individuals escape from Afghanistan, they may seek that as a place for sanctuary.
BLITZER: What about other places, like Yemen, for example, which as you remember well, was the scene of a disastrous attack on the USS Cole, for which the United States did blame al Qaeda?
STEINBERG: Again, bin Laden has a lot of supporters, particularly in northern Yemen. There are parts of the country that are not fully in control of the government. The United States is working with the government there now, which is one of those countries, I think, that Secretary Wolfowitz was referring to, to see whether they really switched sides and are working with us now to fight terrorism, or whether this is just a temporary combination.
BLITZER: Some of our viewers might be surprised to hear the name of the Philippines enter this equation. Why are the Philippines included?
STEINBERG: Again, you have a group there, a Muslim extremist group called Abu Sayyaf, which has links to the al Qaeda organization. It's not clear how directly linked they are to attacks on the United States. But it's certainly a way of showing that terrorists everywhere have something to worry about. And we have a friendly government in the Philippines to work with, to try to root them out of there.
BLITZER: Jim Steinberg, the former deputy national security adviser in the Clinton White House. Thank you very much for joining us.
And there is a new twist in the story about John Walker, the American who was wounded while fighting with the Taliban. Walker's mother insists that the only way her son could have gotten involved was being brainwashed. Someone who studied Arabic with Walker in Yemen paints a very different picture.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSHUA MORTENSEN, STUDIED WITH WALKER: When he arrived, he arrived in the sort of caricatured outfit that seems to be popular with some Muslim converts. You know, the robe and the beard, the sandals. And he was -- he was very interested and very doctrinaire, sort of particular kind of Islam, that these lifelong Muslim students that I was studying with weren't exactly comfortable with. You know, dealing with -- from this -- a person they saw as kind of a beginner to their faith.
He arrived quite, quite rigid and quite convinced of a certain kind of Islam, or a certain interpretation of Islam, which I can only imagine he picked up on his own, he was interpreting on his own. And he would come to Yemen to study Arabic to learn more about the Koran and more about Islam, but he seemed already kind of convinced of the path that those studies would take.
And so I saw -- the John Walker I interacted with there, you know, seemed to have been taking care of the brainwashing all by himself, prior it arrival in Yemen. I don't know that brainwashing is really -- really a good word for it, per se. I mean, he was just a young man with strong convictions, and I think that those led him to some very, very poor decisions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: In this footnote, Walker is being held aboard a U.S. Navy ship, along with other Taliban detainees. President Bush is now speaking in Boton about the education bill he signed into law earlier today. Let's listen in.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ...during an incredibly tough time. Ironically enough, Judd Gray was there as well. And both those men went out of their way to put their arm around Laura, and let her know all would be right. So Mr. Senator, not only are you a good senator, you're a good man.
(APPLAUSE)
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: Speaking about September the 11th, I want the young folks here to know that the mission we're on to rid the world of terror is a noble and just mission. I long for peace, but we learned a terrible lesson. And that lesson is we must root out terror wherever it exists in order for you and your children to grow up in a free and peaceful society.
This nation will not tire. We will not rest until we bring those who are willing to harm Americans to justice. And that's exactly what we intend to do.
(APPLAUSE)
We have a job to do overseas, and our military is performing brilliantly.
For those of you've got relatives in the military or those of you who are in the military, thank you from the bottom of our nation's collective heart.
(APPLAUSE)
And we've got a job to do here at home, as well. And that's to make sure every child in America -- every child -- receives a good education.
Senator Kennedy and I, on the way in here, were talking about the Latin School.
And I want to thank the headmistress, Kelly, for having us here. Thank you very much (inaudible)
(APPLAUSE)
After he had finished the litany of all the Kennedys that had gone to school here...
(LAUGHTER)
... we talked about the quality of education that the kids receive here.
BUSH: And the truth of the matter is, if you look at this bill that I signed this morning in Ohio, it says this is the way -- this is Boston Latin all over again, this is what Boston Latin is about. It's about expecting high standards, understanding every child can learn, demanding the best, insisting upon hard work, rewarding success, solving failure.
It is a great school, and I am grateful that I could come and herald the signing of an important piece of legislation here at this school. This is not only a testimony to Senator Ted Kennedy's hard work, it's a testimony to a fine public school. Thank you for having us.
(APPLAUSE)
I appreciate the governor coming, and I know the governor's committed to quality education as well.
Jane, thank you for being here.
I'm honored that members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation came.
Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to come by and say hello.
I appreciate so very much the mayor being here.
Mr. Mayor, thank you for coming. It's good to see you again. I want to thank all of you for coming. I particularly want to thank the students who are here.
You're seeing government at its best with this piece of legislation. I know there's a lot of folks who look at Washington and say, "Can't they ever get along? All they do is argue. All they do is call each other names."
But on this piece of legislation -- on this important piece of legislation, we figured out how to put our parties aside and focus on what's right for the American children. We showed the country that if we so desire it is possible in Washington to say the nation matters more than our political parties matter.
(APPLAUSE)
That was not as easy as it sounds.
(LAUGHTER)
BUSH: It took a lot of hard work and it took the leadership of four fine Americans, who are on this stage with me today.
These four people decided they would rather see results than have empty rhetoric dominate the scene. These people said, "Look, we disagree on some issues, but why don't we figure out where we agree and get something done?" And it was in that spirit that we crafted a great piece of legislation.
Big George Miller is out of California. He is -- he might be considered left in Massachusetts.
(LAUGHTER)
What do you think, Congressman?
(LAUGHTER)
That's saying something.
Before I went to Washington, I had a group of the gentlemen come down to Austin to talk about education reform. And George and I had a discussion about making sure that the systems did not simply shuffle children through; that we wanted to call a halt to what some call social promotion.
I knew right then and there when I heard his passion about focusing on each child, that there was a potential ally when it came to writing good legislation.
And then Boehner from Ohio, showed up. He did a fabulous job, by the way.
I signed the bill this morning in his district to really express my gratitude and the nation's gratitude for his leadership on shepherding this bill through the House of Representatives. Without John Boehner, without George Miller, this bill never would have made it throughout the House. And I want to thank them both from the bottom of my heart.
(APPLAUSE)
And then, there's the Kennedy-Gregg alliance. It was amazing that it worked, but it did.
(LAUGHTER)
And the truth of the matter is, the bill wouldn't have gotten out of the Senate had not Senator Kennedy and Judd Gregg put their minds to it. This bill could easily have stalled.
It was a convenient time for people to say, "Well, we better not move anything out of the Senate because there's a war."
But Ted Kennedy and Judd Gregg went to their respective caucuses and demanded action.
BUSH: And as a result, the bill came to the Senate floor, passed overwhelmingly, and I had the honor of signing it this morning.
I wish you could have seen the piece of legislation. It's really tall.
(LAUGHTER)
And I admit I hadn't read it yet.
(LAUGHTER)
And you'll be happy to hear I don't intend to.
(LAUGHTER)
But I know the principles behind the bill, and I want to describe some of them to you.
First, this bill says that we will hold people accountable for results. It says, in return for receiving federal money, states must design accountability systems to measure -- to determine whether or not children are learning to read and write and add and subtract. In return for federal money, the state of Massachusetts or the state of Texas or any other state in the union must develop an accountability system to let us know whether children in grades three through eight are meeting standards. It basically says every child can learn, and if they're not learning, we want to know early, before it is too late.
Now, I've heard them say, "Well, tests -- we're testing too much." Well, if you don't like to take a test, too bad, because we need to know, we need to know whether you're learning.
(APPLAUSE) I read a quote from a little girl from New York the other day that touched my heart, and I hope it touches yours. She said, "I don't remember taking exams. They just kept passing me along. I ended up dropping out in the seventh grade. I basically felt no one cared."
Well, she was through, and she was blowing the whistle on what happens in some of our schools in America. You know, sometimes it's easy to walk into the classroom and say, "Certain children can't learn, therefore let's just move them through. Let's don't test them, let's just push them out the end." And that's wrong in America. Every child matters. Every child should be diagnosed on whether or not they can read and write and add and subtract.
BUSH: And if they can't, we need to correct the problems early before it's too late. The cornerstone of reform is strong accountability measures, just like you do here in the state of Massachusetts.
Secondly, in order for reform to mean anything, there must be consequences; something must happen if there's failure.
Now in this bill, it says schools will be given time to correct; after posting the test scores and mailing out the report cards that show mediocrity or failure, schools will still be given a chance to correct the problems. And therefore, we provide incentives and resources to make sure that failing schools have got the opportunity to meet standards.
But if they don't, the consequence is that parents must be empowered to make different choices. We must not trap children in schools that will not teach and will not change. And so therefore, this bill says parents in failed schools can send their children to another public school or charter school or be able to get tutoring for their children in either the public or private sector.
It is important to free families from failure in public education, and that's what this bill does.
The third principle, it says that we trust the local people to make the right decisions for the schools. It says we trust the governors and the school boards to design the path to excellence for every child. It says Washington has a role of providing money and now Washington is demanding results, but Washington should not micromanage the process.
And so this bill provides a lot more flexibility for the local folks. In essence, it says, the people of Boston care more about the children of Boston than the people in Washington, D.C.
Rod Paige understands that. The reason I picked Rod to become the secretary of education is because he was the superintendent of schools in the Houston Independent School District. He knows what it means to run a school district. And when we implement this bill, I can assure you Rod is going to make sure that the spirit of No Child Is Left Behind is a part of the regulations. But this bill says one size doesn't fit all when it comes to public schools. It fosters change by pushing power to the lowest level, and that is at the local school districts, which should make the teachers in this audience feel good.
BUSH: First of all, I want to thank all the teachers who are here.
Yours is a noble profession. And thank you for taking on this tough job.
(APPLAUSE)
But a system that devolves power -- system that devolves power says we got to trust the teachers and principals to make the right decisions in the classrooms. And that's what this bill says.
This bill also wages a battle against illiteracy. It recognizes that spending money is important, but you need to spend money effectively in order to make a difference. We've spent a lot of money in education -- a lot. And a lot of it hasn't made a difference.
One area where we're going to make a difference from this point forward in America is in reading, teaching every child to read. The numbers of inner-city kids, kids from impoverished families, their ability to read or the illiteracy rate -- let me put it to you that way -- is astounding. It is pitiful. It is not right for America that over 60 percent of the children in the fourth grade from impoverished families cannot read.
If you can't read in the fourth grade, you're not going to read in the eighth grade. If you can't read in the eighth grade, you're not going to read in high school. And if you can't read, you got a tough life ahead of you. And we need to do something about it, America.
And this bill does it: triples the amount of money for early reading programs; programs based upon the science of reading, not something that sounds good or feels good, but something that works. There's money for teacher training. There's money for enhanced methodology. There is money that says we're going to stay focused until we teach every child to read by the third grade in America.
(APPLAUSE)
And so, those are the principles of a good bill. The bill is not only good for education, but it's a good go-by to show what can happen in Washington.
And that's why the five of us -- or the six of us, including Rod Paige -- have been traveling around the nation today, heralding the success, the joint success, the success of people from both political parties, and both houses of Congress.
BUSH: It shows what is possible when people say, "I want to get something done." I know what's possible when it comes to educating children. You've seen it here in your own state, how the numbers have improved dramatically. It starts with an attitude that says public education is crucial, every child can learn and we must set high standards.
And that's what we've got to do in America, it seems like, all over the country. After 9/11, a lot of people have asked, "What can I do to help? How can I make a difference in America?" Well, my advice is, first, love your children like you've never loved them before. Show them that they're the most important people in the world.
But a way you can help America is to mentor a child, to teach a child to read. You can make sure your kids turn off your TV and read. You can make sure that you support the public school in your neighborhood. You can make sure you thank a teacher. You can help by going into classrooms to make a difference.
If you're really interested in how to help fight terrorists, if you want to make sure that the terrorists aren't able to affect the heart and soul of America, support your public schools, insist upon the best, demand accountability, because every child in America can learn, and when they do, this country's going to be a heck of a lot better off.
Thank you for letting me come. May God bless.
(APPLAUSE)
BLITZER: President Bush and Senator Ted Kennedy shaking hands in this, the third stop of the day in Massachusetts -- earlier in New Hampshire, as well as in Ohio, where the president signed the education bill into law.
Our Senior White House correspondent, John King, has been traveling with the president today. He joins us just outside of the Boston Latin School, where he once was a student himself.
But, John, let's talk about what the president's thrust of his remarks in all three of his speeches were today -- the bottom line being he wants to try to use some of this bipartisanship as an example for other issues. But can he do it?
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is the big question, Wolf.
In the early days of the new year -- and remember, it is a congressional election year -- the bipartisan spirit on the domestic front, anyway, when it comes to the economy, health care and other domestic issues, has given way to some partisan struggles between the Republican president and Democrats in the Congress, especially the Senate majority leader, Tom Daschle, who has been taking the lead for the Democrats.
You can see the president here. He went through all the policy in this bill, so I won't revisit it. But you see him, as you noted, trying to tap the bipartisan spirit. It took months to negotiate this compromise. As the president said, many thought, "Let's call it quits for this year and come back next year" after the terrorist strikes of September 11.
But working with some conservative who had to deal with criticism on the right, working with liberals like Senator Kennedy, who said that maybe the Democrats were giving the president too much, the president was able to strike this compromise.
And you see that, along the way, he built an important friendship, especially with Senator Kennedy. You saw the poignant moment when the president noted his wife, the first lady, Laura Bush, was actually up on Capitol Hill to testify before the senator's committee when the terrorists struck the United States. Senator Kennedy helped get her to safety initially. Then she was to taken to a secure location.
Mr. Bush, a conservative Republican, called Teddy Kennedy, a liberal icon, not only a good senator, but a good man. The president hopes relationships like that can get him some more progress on the domestic front in the year ahead. Obviously, the economy is No. 1. And the big question is: Can a wartime president translate all that popularity to progress on the domestic front, when the Democrats are looking to take control of the House again if possible, defend their majority in the Senate?
So, some partisan positioning in the early days of the new year -- the president hoping this major achievement of the last year and the bipartisanship that it sprouted from will come back in the days and weeks ahead -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Any immediate prospect, John, that this good spirit that we see today will be translated into some movement on the so- called economic stimulus package, which only yesterday the president promised to reintroduce in the coming days?
KING: White House aides behind the scenes are actually saying they do have a bit of optimism. They say, yes, Senator Daschle was quite critical of the president, looking back, critical of the tax cut, but that he himself, Senator Daschle, on behalf of the Democrats, put some new business tax cuts on the table.
The White House believes there's some political posturing going on right now. And they concede it is in both parties. But they also believe Senator Daschle's speech represented -- if you strip away the politics -- evidence that the Democrats believe they too need to prove they want to get something done when it comes to the economy. The thing that held up a compromise just before Christmas was, in the White House view, a Democratic assumption that there was no political price to pay for not cutting a deal with the president.
The White House says it will explore that in the days and weeks ahead -- Congress not back for about two more weeks. So those negotiations will go very slowly for the next two weeks or so -- White House aides also saying perhaps, just like did he on education, the president can find a bipartisan group to work out a compromise on another big issue, the patients' bill of rights -- all that in a congressional election year.
Perhaps they are overly optimistic, but White House aides saying the president is committed to trying. And they actually think Senator Daschle moved a bit their way in his speech the other day. It was the political positioning that drew all the attention, but they will give it a try, and the president is committed to do that.
BLITZER: John King, a 1981 graduate of the Boston Latin School, very briefly, are you happy to be home two decades later?
KING: It's nice to be here. When you are in high school, Wolf, you don't realize what you are gaining and what you are benefiting in. Perhaps I learned here the motto of my life: reasonably good grades for my work, constantly at war with the management.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: John King in Boston, thank you very much. I will remember that.
When we come back: my conversation with the senator sharing the stage with President Bush. Coming up, they are on the same side of education, but is there an agreement elsewhere?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: There's obvious concern about the state of our economy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
The education reform bill was, of course, a bipartisan effort. The Massachusetts Democratic Senator, Edward Kennedy, played a key role in getting the legislation passed, worked very closely with President Bush. Some call it the ultimate odd couple.
Earlier, I spoke with Senator Kennedy about that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Senator Kennedy, thanks so much for joining us. And congratulations on your education legislation becoming the law of the land today.
How did you feel working so closely with President Bush on this piece of legislation?
KENNEDY: Well, it's a very important undertaking. And this really reflects the best of Congress working with the president, who is committed to trying to make a difference in the areas of education. This was an 11-month negotiation. It was a difficult negotiation. But I think the bottom line here is that we have a very good blueprint. And if we're able to breathe life into this blueprint, get the resources and do an effective job at the state and local level, it will make a significant difference in improving quality education.
I wish we could use this example that we have had now in working with the administration in other areas of public policy, like prescription drugs or patients' bill of rights, or even the economy. I think this is really the way to go.
BLITZER: Did the president give you indication -- and you have been traveling with him all day -- that he wants to use this as an example, as a role model, if you will, for the other issues that you are talking about?
KENNEDY: That hasn't really been the subject of the discussion. We have talked about education today. We have talked about other aspects of education policy. That's really been the focus and attention. But we will have that opportunity at another time, maybe on the trip back to Washington.
BLITZER: Is there a sense, though, that the old days of the partisan bickering over domestic issues, including tax cuts, for example, that those battle days are now back, with 2002 being an election year?
KENNEDY: Well, I think there is a recognition that the -- we have been doing very well in terms of the war front. But I think most members of Congress are going to come back to the opening of Congress and recognize that we have a home front as well that needs attention, that there's still many seniors that need prescription drugs.
I found around Massachusetts still many families that want to make sure we have a tough patients' bill of rights. There are real concerns about what the deficit is going to mean in terms of the Medicare and Social Security. So there are going to be major issues. And, of course, there is obvious concern about the state of our economy. And I think Republicans and Democrats are going to want to try and find, hopefully, a way to have a positive impact on the economy with some action.
BLITZER: You heard your leader, the Senate majority leader, Tom Daschle, say the other day that, as far as a new economic stimulus package is concerned, the Bush administration went much too far in supporting all those tax cuts. Should the implementation of those tax cuts over the next few years be scaled back, given the state of the economy, the additional expenditures for homeland security?
KENNEDY: Well, first of all, I saw the speech. And I read the speech carefully. And I thought Tom Daschle really did an excellent job in assessing about where we are domestically and presenting the challenge to the Congress.
I think we will have another time other than today to get into exactly what any of us in the Democratic Party are going do about it. I think it is important that we have a positive response to the challenges that we face. And I will look forward to being part of that kind of initiative. But today we are talking about education, what has been able to be achieved and hopefully the difference it will make for children.
BLITZER: The president today said this about you earlier in Ohio. He said: "He is a fabulous United States senator. When he is against you, it's tough. When he is with you, it is a great experience."
What is it like working with the president?
KENNEDY: Well, I have enjoyed working with the president. I might say -- I might use those same words with regards to him, respectfully. We have -- I think what is important is that, hopefully, we have seen what can be achieved when we work together. And I think there is a real desire among the American people.
There's a new spirit from September 11. And I think the American people, more than any other time in the time that I have been in the United States Senate, really want serious consideration to serious problems. And they want to really draw the best from us as members of the Senate and also as senators and as the president. And I think we have that responsibility to them. I think there's a new mood. And, hopefully, it will take grasp, hold of the Congress in this session.
I'm certainly prepared to see what can be done and try to find ways we can work together. And I think Senator Daschle, others are as well.
BLITZER: You know, when the president was the governor of Texas, he often worked with Democrats in the Texas legislature. And his aides say he wants to do the same with you and other Democrats. Are you upbeat that that can happen this year, in an election year?
KENNEDY: Well, I hope so because that's where progress is made. I think each has to set the bar high. The Republicans have to set the bar high. We Democrats have to set the bar high. And when we do, if we can shake hands on top of that bar, then let's get it done and make a difference in terms of people's needs, I think particularly in the areas of prescription drugs, patients' bill of rights. I still want to see an increase in that minimum wage for workers at the lower end of the economic ladder.
I'm -- let's try and see if we can't get it done.
BLITZER: One final question, Senator Kennedy. I see Marine One right behind you. You are in New Hampshire. It's 2002. Is it too early to start speculating about a Democratic presidential candidate in 2004?
KENNEDY: Oh, I think so. I see -- we didn't see Jeanne Shaheen here. We know that she is going to be a good candidate for us for the United States Senate. I think, beyond that, we will wait until after 2002.
BLITZER: All right, Senator Kennedy...
KENNEDY: Thank you very much.
BLITZER: ... thanks once again. Congratulations on your education legislation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And when return, we will get back to our top story. I will speak live with a colonel from the Maryland State Police about that speeding ticket given to one of the 9/11 hijackers. Also: Professionally, he is king of the court, but it's M.J. on the sidelines that has him in the spotlight. And the fast-food industry loses a father figure: the accomplishments and life of Wendy's dad, Dave Thomas.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Now back to our top story: Only two days before the September 11 attacks, a Maryland state trooper stopped a man for speeding. That man, Ziad Jarrah, was one of the terrorists who hijacked United Flight 93.
Joining us now with his special insight into this story: the superintendent of the Maryland State Police, Colonel David Mitchell.
Colonel Mitchell, thanks for joining us.
And tell our viewers what happened. He was going on I-95 between Baltimore and Washington, I take it, at some 90 miles an hour?
COLONEL DAVID MITCHELL, MARYLAND STATE POLICE: That is correct, Wolf.
It was minutes after midnight on September 9 that Trooper Joseph Catalano out of our JFK barrack was running radar and encountered Ziad Jarrah as he went through radar at 90 miles per hour in a 65-mile zone.
BLITZER: Did he have a valid driver's license?
MITCHELL: As a matter of fact, he did. He had a Virginia's driver's license. The photo I.D. matched. The rental car agreement matched. Our trooper found nothing out of the ordinary. During the traffic stop, he cited Jarrah for speeding 90 in a 65-mile zone, $270 fine, and sent him on his way.
BLITZER: Was there -- was he on any sort of -- as far as you know, any sort of watch list that federal law enforcement or intelligence -- the intelligence community had that could have resulted in this guy's being arrested?
MITCHELL: As matter of fact, Wolf, up until -- by my colleagues in the FBI and elsewhere -- that Ziad Jarrah was not an any watch list. There was no information anywhere that our trooper could have accessed from a traffic stop that would lead him to believe or give him reason to hold this man in our custody.
BLITZER: So, there was no -- looking back even now, knowing what we know, walking back on that incident, should anything have been done differently to have prevented him from continuing on his way? MITCHELL: Actually not. Obviously, our trooper and we in the Maryland State police have very strong feelings about what happened on September 11. Hindsight is 20/20. It's painful to watch this traffic stop knowing that this is the man that we believe was at the controls of Flight 93.
But yet, on the other hand, when you watch the tape, you can see that this was a textbook traffic stop by our trooper. He followed every letter of our rules and procedures and sent this man on his way after citing him appropriately.
BLITZER: Would it have been appropriate to check his visa status in the United States? For example, did he have a passport with him?
MITCHELL: Well, that would be difficult to do from our standpoint on a traffic stop. Obviously, we have databases available to us. We have MILES here in Maryland and NCIC that is available nationwide. There was no information in there from INS about this man that would lead to us believe that he was either committing a crime or he was wanted somewhere in the country and he should be appropriately detained.
BLITZER: And you are obviously right: 20/20 hindsight is, of course, always perfect. But knowing what we know now, what happened on September 9 on I-95 in Maryland, what happened on September 11 two days later, is there any new procedure that should be put in place that could have made the situation different as far as this one individual at least was concerned?
MITCHELL: Wolf, I'm not sure about any new procedure. Obviously, the more information that we as state troopers and law enforcement officers here in our country have at our fingertips, if you will, the more empowered we are, the safer our community is going to be.
But yet, on the other hand, at any given moment in the United States, over 300,000 law enforcement officers on the street -- our databases could not withstand the demand if we were checking everybody all the time. Clearly, the times are piled high with difficulty. We are going to rely on technology to better the circumstances, for sure.
BLITZER: And if this were to happen today in Maryland on an interstate or any other road, and one of your state troopers stopped someone who was of Middle Eastern ancestry with a name like Ziad Jarrah, do you think anything would be done differently?
MITCHELL: We would not -- in and of itself, just based on name, color or certainly religious background -- detain someone longer than necessary. As you know, that is profiling. There's a lot of concerns about that right now. But suffice it to say that we are extra cautious on traffic stops. We arrest people all the time for routine violations that lead into other things.
Over 40 percent of all the drugs in the country are recovered on traffic stops. We know Tim McVeigh was arrested for speeding by an Oklahoma state trooper. So clearly there is a lot to look for on a traffic stop. We will continue to be vigilant out here and continue to protect those in our state and our country that deserve our protection.
BLITZER: Colonel David Mitchell of the Maryland State Police, thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate your insight.
MITCHELL: Thank you.
BLITZER: Thank you.
And let's go live to New York now and get a preview of what is ahead on "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE." That begins, of course, at top of the hour -- Lou.
LOU DOBBS, "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE": Wolf, thank you very much.
Coming up next: The campaign to wipe out al Qaeda and Taliban fighters goes on. We will have a live report for you from Afghanistan. I will be joined by former Defense Secretary, "MONEYLINE" regular contributor William Cohen. We will be talking about the progress on the war against terror and what is next.
President Bush today signed an education bill into law. We will have the details for you -- a special report looking behind those numbers, looking at the state of education in this country -- all of that, a lot more coming up at the top of the hour. Please join us.
Now back to Wolf Blitzer in Washington -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thank you very much, Lou. We will be watching, as we do every single day.
And when come back, we will take a special look at the life of Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy's.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Let's get a quick check of some of the stories in today's "Newswire": Dave Thomas, founder of the Wendy's hamburger chain, died today after a long battle with liver cancer. Thomas is best known as Wendy's pitch man. He appeared in more than 800 commercials. He was 69 years old.
And, after 12 years of marriage, the wife of NBA All-Star Michael Jordan has filed for divorce. In court documents, Juanita Jordan cites irreconcilable differences as the reason.
Michael Jordan had this reaction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL JORDAN, PRO BASKETBALL PLAYER: When you have personal issues, you know, it can drain you. And sometimes work is a great avenue to try to deal with it and move on. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: I will be back at the top of the hour with more here in CNN's "War Room."
Until then, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" begins right now.
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